Federal Government Allocates 25 Crore Rupees for Tarigaun Airport Expansion

Butwal. With the federal government allocating a budget of approximately 25 crore rupees for the expansion of Tarigaun Airport in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis-12, Dang, hopes have been raised for the work to proceed. The Tarigaun Airport, which came into operation in 2011, has not seen significant expansion in area since its inception. Currently, the airport runway is 750 meters long. Due to the short runway, large capacity aircraft cannot land here. Although there have been repeated calls for airport expansion, the work had not progressed due to insufficient budget. Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis had also formed a committee led by Deputy Mayor Sthani Chaudhary to promote the airport's upgrade and advance the process. A detailed project report (DPR) for airport expansion has already been prepared. Following the federal government's budget allocation, preparations for the necessary survey are now underway. According to Pradip Bhusal, senior officer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) Tulsipur, discussions are ongoing to send engineers from the central office to conduct the survey, Ratopati has learned. 'Whether they will come before or after Dashain is not yet certain,' he said. According to Bhusal, additional land will be required for the airport, so some private land along with government land may need to be acquired during the expansion. He stated that the necessary procedures for this will take time. 'In the past, only one to two crore rupees used to be allocated as budget. The budget would be exhausted by doing small tasks,' Bhusal said. 'Now that a large budget has been allocated, the situation has arisen where land acquisition and other expansion work can be carried forward.' Currently, only Twin Otter aircraft with a capacity of 19 seats can be operated at Tarigaun Airport. Due to the short runway, larger aircraft cannot be operated. Dr. Nahakul KC, a resident of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis and former vice-chairman of the Lumbini Province Planning Commission, said that the process of airport expansion should be expedited without further delay. 'Although it is an old airport, due to the lack of expansion, only aircraft with a capacity of 19 seats can currently be operated,' he said. 'Since small aircraft have to carry fewer passengers, the fare also becomes expensive. Therefore, regular flights have also been affected here.' He stated that coordination between the federal, provincial, and local levels is necessary to expand Tulsipur Airport, located in the capital region of Lumbini Province, and create an environment for regular air service operations. 'If regular air service is operated in Tulsipur, citizens from Rolpa, Rukum, and Pyuthan, as well as Dang, can benefit,' KC said. 'Therefore, it is necessary for all three levels of government to take the airport expansion seriously.' Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis Mayor Tikaram Khadka said that the municipality has been continuously lobbying and providing necessary support for airport expansion. He said that although the federal government's budget allocation is positive, there is a need to lobby for the necessary additional budget along with budget implementation. With the airport expansion, larger aircraft will be able to operate from Tulsipur, and it is expected that citizens from Dang and surrounding districts will have easier access to air services. Flight Schedule Exists, But No Passengers At Tarigaun Airport in Tulsipur, Dang, Nepal Airlines has a flight schedule, but due to the inability to operate regular flights according to the schedule, questions are being raised about the airport's operation. Despite having a flight schedule, flights are often disrupted due to a lack of sufficient passengers and adverse weather conditions. According to Bal Bahadur Sunar, branch chief of Nepal Airlines in Tulsipur, there is a schedule for four days a week for Tulsipur-Kathmandu flights: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. However, regular flights are not being operated according to the schedule. 'Sometimes there is a problem due to insufficient passengers, sometimes the weather does not cooperate,' said Branch Chief Sunar. 'Therefore, regular flights are not being operated according to the schedule.' Due to irregular flights, passengers from Tulsipur and surrounding areas are forced to use Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj airports to travel to and from Kathmandu. Passengers complain that this increases both time and cost. According to the Tulsipur branch of Nepal Airlines, a Twin Otter aircraft flew to Tulsipur once on Asar 32. After that, another flight took place only on Bhadra 25. There were no flights at all in Tulsipur throughout the month of Shrawan. According to Branch Chief Sunar, there were a total of 11 passengers coming and going in Asar, and 12 passengers in Bhadra. He stated that it is easy to cover operating costs if there are at least five passengers for a Tulsipur-Kathmandu flight. He mentioned that flights have to be canceled when there are only two or three passengers. Fare is Also a Challenge for Passengers The fare for air travel between Tulsipur and Kathmandu is also considered a reason for the lack of passengers. Currently, Nepal Airlines has set the fare for a one-way trip between Tulsipur and Kathmandu at 12,658 rupees. Although the fare does not fluctuate daily according to demand like private airlines, Nepal Airlines stated that the fare has been increased recently due to the rise in aviation fuel prices. Some time ago, the fare between Tulsipur and Kathmandu was increased from around 9,000 rupees to up to 15,000 rupees. Currently, it has been fixed at 12,658 rupees. Similarly, weather is another challenge for small aircraft like the Twin Otter operating at Tarigaun Airport. Flights are particularly affected in some months due to gales, fog, and mist. Emphasis on Runway Expansion Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis has stated that runway expansion is the main priority for solving the long-term problems of the airport. According to Sthani Chaudhary, Deputy Mayor of the Sub-Metropolis, repeated efforts have been made to the relevant ministry and various bodies for the airport's upgrade. She said that there is now a need to make the airport more commercial. The Tulsipur Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also been repeatedly lobbying for regular flights at Tarigaun Airport. Businessmen have been stating that the regular operation of the airport will have a positive impact on Tulsipur's trade, tourism, and economic activities. Local stakeholders believe that if the runway of Tarigaun Airport can be extended to about 1,500 meters, larger capacity aircraft can also be operated. Nepal Oil Corporation has also established a fuel depot at Tarigaun Airport premises. The corporation bore all the expenses for the construction of the depot. However, due to the lack of regular flights, the utilization of the fuel depot is also minimal. With flights operating only once or twice a month, significant income cannot be generated from fuel sales. Local stakeholders expect that if the runway is expanded and regular flights are operated, air access to Tulsipur and the entire Dang district will be facilitated.